Orlando Julius Ekemode, one of Nigeria’s most decorated highlife musicians, has died at the age of 79. The Managing Director of Evergreen Music, Bimbo Esho, announced his death, writing that the deceased’s wife informed her of his death. Let’s see how did Orlando Julius die.
Who was Orlando Julius?
Julius was a saxophonist, singer, bandleader, and songwriter who was heavily involved in Afrobeat music. Last year, the ‘Jagua Nana’ singer celebrated his 60th year on stage.
He was the fourth son in the family and the younger brother of Professor Gabriel Ekemode of the University of Ife, Ile-Ife. His full name was Orlando Julius Olusanya Ekemode, but he was better known as Orlando Julius (now Obafemi Awolowo University).
Julius was born in 1943 in Ikole, Nigeria to a merchant family during British colonialism, according to his Wiki profile. His mother was his first music teacher, as she would sing and dance while he played the drums.
He attended St. Peter’s Anglican School in Ikole and was a member of the school band. His musical albums include Disco Hi-Life, Ololufe, Love, Peace, and Happiness, Dance Afrobeat, and others.
Career journey
Julius began fusing traditional African sounds and rhythms with those of American pop, soul, and R&B in the 1960s. Apart from performing and recording in Nigeria, he spent many years in the United States working on projects with Lamont Dozier, the Crusaders, and Hugh Masekela.
His 1966 album, Super Afro Soul, established him as a national celebrity in Nigeria and even influenced music in the United States. The record’s dramatic, highly melodic fusion of soul, pop, and funk was far ahead of its time, and some argue that Super Afro Soul helped shape the funk movement that swept across the United States in the years that followed.
Julius released a long list of records exclusively in Nigeria after Super Afro Soul, and as a result, he gained a lot of local fame. He largely went unnoticed by the international community until 2000, when Super Afro Soul was re-released on Strut and distributed worldwide to widespread critical acclaim.
Orlando Julius and the Afro Sounders, his 1972 album, was reissued by Voodoo Funk in 2011, and the artist increased his live activity both at home and abroad. The Heliocentrics brought him to their all-analog studio in North London in early 2014, where they backed him in a series of recordings that included previously unreleased vintage tunes as well as new compositions. In September, Jaiyede Afro was released.
Orlando Julius Cause of death
Orlando Julius, a veteran highlife musician, died at the age of 79.
How did Orlando Julius die: Julius’ death was announced by his wife, Latoya Ekemode, in the early hours of Friday. Julius, she said, passed out in his sleep on Thursday night.
“Yes, my husband died late last night; there was no sign that he was dying; he was not ill; he only slept and died in his sleep,” she explained.
An official announcement
Bimbo Esho, a music promoter, also confirmed the ‘A dara, a dara singer’s death. Bimbo Esho wrote on Facebook,
“Bimbo, Daddy Has Passed Away…
This was the message I came across when I woke up at 3 a.m. to check my WhatsApp page. Lady Latoya, Orlando Julius’ beautiful and supportive wife, had sent me a message.
“At the age of 79, Orlando Julius, a native of Ijebu Ijesha, succumbed to the cold hands of death and breathed his last few hours.”
“One of Nigeria’s fathers of Afro/Highlife Music, a gentleman, and a fine Saxophonist, will be missed.”
“May the soul of daddy Orlando Julius travel well.” “To the entire Ekemode family, may God grant you the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss,”.
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